By The Sea
by FrozenCenterStage
Summary: Anna is staying with her sister at her beach condo for the summer, right after a tough breakup. The captain of the Water Taxi, however, takes her mind off things a bit. / Frozen AU


**I DID IT I FINISHED. ^_^ Merry Christmas in July, my sweet, darling, PRECIOUS Gabi (awesomemaple - Tumblr) ! I am so, so thrilled that I got your name, because I love you so! I hope you like this! It's not the boxer au (because I honestly don't know SHIT about boxing) but I hope this fluffy thing makes you smile! Thanks to frenzy5051 for looking it over to make sure everything made sense before I posted. ;)**

Anna pouted as she leaned against one of the wooden piles holding up the dock on which she currently stood. She wasn't in the mood to go out, much less be around people. But Elsa was hosting her at her beach condo for the summer, and she insisted that Anna get up and get out. It would help with the heartache. She scoffed to herself as she ran a finger lazily down the splintered wood.

"There it is," she heard Elsa's voice saying from behind her. She looked at Elsa and then at the vessel in the water. They watched as a small, canopied boat glided towards their dock, stopping at the very end. Elsa pulled her into a side hug. "Come on, Anna. We'll go to the Harbor Walk, grab a bite, visit the shops, and if you really are truly miserable, I'll call the water taxi to pick us up and bring us back." Anna forced a smile and nodded before walking with her sister to the end of the pier, to the boat.

A young boy jumped out enthusiastically, pulling the boat flesh with the dock so that passengers could come aboard safely. "Ahoy, ladies!" He said, using his free hand to take Elsa's, helping her down onto the boat.

"Thanks, Olaf," Elsa said with a kind smile. She turned to look back at Anna with an encouraging smile.

"Any time, Ms. Arendelle!" He replied energetically.

The platinum blond laughed a bit as Olaf then helped Anna onto the boat. "I've told you, "Elsa" is just fine!" She walked on towards the curve of seats at the stern of the boat passing the captain on the way. "Good evening, Kristoff! Have you been very busy today?"

Anna looked up to see who her older sister had addressed. She wasn't expecting what she saw. The little water taxi's captain was tall and broad-shouldered with shaggy blond hair and smooth, chocolate eyes. His small chuckle did something to quicken the pace of her heart. "Well, it *is* 4th of July weekend. Mine and Olaf's cells have been ringing off the hook for pick-ups. But you know you always have spot on board." Elsa smiled and sat down on the curve of seats behind Kristoff and the wheel.

As Anna made her way to Elsa, Kristoff turned to her. The engine of the boat was settled at the center, which was cause for the large step in between each of the seating areas. While Elsa glided over it quite gracefully, her little sister didn't have the same luck. It occurred to Anna now that perhaps she should have planned better as far as her attire. Standing on a moving vessel didn't once enter her head as she slipped on a flowy, bright blue sun dress and wedges. There weren't any handles to hold onto either, so Anna just went for it. She made it up on the step just fine, grinning proudly to herself, when the boat lurched to a start.

"Whoa, there!" She tripped. She had lost her balance on those damn wedges, and now she was in the arms of the burly boat captain whose cheeks were surely the same color as her own. "I'm so sorry about that, Miss!" he apologized, still holding her. "The boat… well, it needs some work, and the throttle tends to get stuck, and…"

Anna smiled at his embarrassment, feeling quite warm herself. "It's fine, I'm fine. I shouldn't have worn these stupid shoes," she chuckled. The captain, Kristoff, smiled shyly and helped her back on her feet, offering his hand to her as she stepped on down the step and to the back with her sister. Anna could feel Elsa's eyes on her, but she ignored it. Maybe going out wasn't such a bad idea after all…

—

The sisters ate lunch on the porch of Elsa's favorite restaurant, overlooking the beach and ocean. They were leaving when Elsa looked over at Anna with guilt. "What is it, Elsa?" she asked knowingly.

"I got a call when you went to the restroom…" she began, her voice dripping with guilt.

"It's okay, Else," Anna grinned. "When you're the boss, you've always got to be on call."

Anna giggled as her sister attacked her with a hug. "Have I told you lately that I love you?" She kissed Anna on the forehead before taking out her phone. "I've got to get there in a hurry, so I'm going to call an actual cab. The water taxi will take too long. I can have the cab drop you off at the condo after he drops me off."

"Actually," Anna began casually, "I think I'll go down by the dock and wait for the water taxi."

—

It really was a lovely day despite the itchy stitching in her heart from her most recent heartache. It wasn't that the wounds were exactly fresh, but seeing Hans' legs tangled around those of some busty blonde in a booth at Oaken's Bar & Grill last weekend back home really struck a nerve. And it probably wasn't the first girl he'd had since he broke her heart a month ago.

However, the sunshine, the gentle breeze, the salty sea air and the sight of that burly blond in his boat headed her way had really turned her day around. It was strange; there was a kindness in the captain's eyes that she had never once seen in Hans'. And she didn't even know this guy!

"You didn't stay out very long, ma'am," the captain (Christopher, was it?) commented at the "skipper," Olaf, helped her back onto the currently empty boat.

Anna blushed, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear. "Oh, please call me Anna," she smiled, making her way to the back of the boat once again to make room for future passengers. This time, the captain stood from his stool and offered her his hand as she made her way over the engine, his cheeks red as fire. "Thank you," she murmured gently. "But yes, Elsa was called into work, so our day was cut short. I didn't really want to walk around by myself."

"Oh, right, I'm sorry… Anna." Her name on his tongue in that timbre almost made her shiver in the heat of the sun. He was quite handsome… "And I can't say I understand the not-wanting-to-be-alone thing, if you don't mind me saying. I prefer solitude."

Anna grinned, crossing her legs and folding her arms across her lap as the boat glided through the water. "Is that right? Christopher, is it?" She chuckled a bit. "There's not much solitude in crossing the harbor roughly a hundred times a day, carrying people here and there."

The captain scoffed. "It's a family business. Also, it's Kristoff."

"My apologies, Kristoff."

The captain, Kristoff explained to Anna that he had to pick up a few more passengers that had called in before he picked her up, and then he would take her home. She didn't mind. It was pleasant on the boat. She'd close her eyes and let the breeze flow through her hair.

Once Kristoff had gotten rid of the last person, making the boat empty once more, he looked back at the redhead in the back. She was gazing, absently, out at the water, her chin in her hand and a sort of sadness in her eyes. He remembered when he first her and Elsa up that she didn't seem very interested in going out at all. And suddenly, cheering her up, from whatever saddened her, was all Kristoff wanted to do. Olaf had gotten off at the last stop, and now it was just the two of them. He got up out of his seat and stood on the step that hid the engine and flipped a switch near the canopy of the boat so that the marquee on top read "Out of Service." His best friend Sven ran the other water taxi, and it was a weekday, so he knew he could handle it.

"Do you need to get back at a particular time, Anna?"

She jumped a bit, having been pulled from her day dreams, and looked up at Kristoff, a bit confused. "Um… I don't think so? Why?" she asked curiously.

"I'd like to show you something. I mean, if that's okay with you and everything. I'd understand if you'd rather not since, we're practically strangers and all, but you look sad, and I just feel like you're one of those people that never have any right to be sad, and—"

"Kristoff!" she laughed, grinning from ear to ear. "It's fine! Show me," she requested, a bit softer.

Kristoff was beet red, though he grinned, and nodded his head. Anna couldn't erase the smile from her lips as he steered the boat out of the harbor. He cut the engine in the mass of water between two jetties that lie a mile or so away from the other, and got up, offering his hand once more to Anna. She looked at him curiously, but took it, allowing him to lead her back towards the front of the boat. They kneeled down on the seats there and rested their elbows on the side of the boat. And though the water was like clear, emerald glass, she wasn't sure what they were looking at.

"Kristoff, what—"

"Shh…"

Anna immediately shut her mouth and waited. She watched as Kristoff took one of his boat keys and tapped it lightly on the metal hand rail behind the seats. He did this for a few minutes, very gently, and almost lost hope when at last, a gray streak swam right passed the boat.

"Kristoff, did you see that?" she hissed, feeling his hand fall on her shoulder. She looked over at him, and he was nodding, grinning.

Before they knew it, the boat was surrounded by a pod of dolphins, swimming playfully and breaching the surface. Anna watched in amazement, her eyes bright with wonder as the dolphins gave them their own private show. It was the most humbling experience! Never in her life had she seen such animals in their natural habitat. They were so beautiful and graceful, the emerald glass flowing smoothly across their dorsal fins as they breached the surface each time.

"Anna, look."

She looked over at Kristoff who had unknowingly grabbed her hand and followed his eyes. Her eyes lit up and she jumped from where she knelt, making to stand on the seat. "Whoa, easy!" she heard behind her, but she didn't care. She felt his hand move to the small of her back, keeping her steady. She held on to one of the poles holding the boat canopy and watched as a baby dolphin swam happily close to her mama. Anna thought she might cry. The passed awful month, the thoughtfulness and kindness of this stranger, and the beauty of nature before her all had her heart clinched tight with emotion.

"Kristoff!" She turned around on the seat to look down at him, his creamy brown eyes looking straight back into hers, his hands now at her waist to keep her from falling; it felt right. "No one has ever shown me something as wonderful as this." Her heart nearly melted away when his lips curled into a grin before he picked her up effortlessly and put her back down on the floor of the boat. "Thank you," she said softly. Without thinking, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

Once again, the blond was glowing red as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "It's no problem, really, Anna. I mean, you looked like you needed a pick me up, and these guys are such showoffs…"

—

The sun was setting as the boat settled beside Anna's dock, her signal to go. Kristoff helped her over that big step again and walked her to the steps leading to the dock. "I'm, uh… I'm glad you stuck around with me today. It gets lonely."

Anna grinned sheepishly. "What about Olaf?"

"He doesn't count," he replied without a beat. He smiled, seeing as it made Anna laugh.

"What about all of that loner talk?" she asked, her eyes somewhat hooded as she looked down at him from the top step of the boat, a small grin plastered to her lips.

"I'm starting to think that's all pretty over-rated," he smirked up at her, though there was a softness in his eyes that tied her stomach in knots.

Anna giggled a bit, and he grinned up at her goofily. They stood in silence for a moment before Anna made herself snap out of it, and reached into her purse. She pulled out a pen and reached for Kristoff's hand. "I'm going to be here, visiting Elsa for the next couple of weeks," she explained softly, the pink in her cheeks glowing faintly in the haze of the sunset. "You should call me." She met his eyes once she finished writing her number in his hand, and he was looking at her with wide eyes. She rolled her eyes and chuckled. "What?"

"Really…?" he asked, still clearly in shock.

"Yes, really," she grinned.

"May I?" Kristoff gestured for her pen. Anna's grin faded a bit as her tummy turned a little flip, and she handed him the pen. She held her breath as Kristoff's large, calloused (but not unpleasantly so) hand held hers, firmly, but gently. Her fingers twitched slightly as the ink pen tickled her skin. When he was done, he placed the pen in her hand and turned it over, kissing it softly. "Goodnight, Anna. I'll be waiting for that call."


End file.
